


Don't Look Back

by c0cunt



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Greek Mythology, Greek Mythology - Freeform, M/M, based on the myth of orpheus and eurydice
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-29
Updated: 2016-01-29
Packaged: 2018-05-16 23:45:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,302
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5845564
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/c0cunt/pseuds/c0cunt
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Marco Bodt, as the son of one of the muses and a Thracian prince, could have whomever he so desired.  Even Hades couldn't stop that.<br/>Loosely based on the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Don't Look Back

**Author's Note:**

  * For [firegrilled](https://archiveofourown.org/users/firegrilled/gifts).



> Happy birthday FZ! Have a bit of MarMin to celebrate being alive~

  The son of one of the Muses and a Tracian prince, a lot was expected of Marco from the time of his birth.  Being raised in Thrace, and with his mother giving him the gift of music, there was no mortal of his equal, be it in song or instrument.  Anyone who heard him sing or play was instantly enthralled, but only one person caught his eye.  Armin, an orphan who could easily convince an army to walk into the underworld if he so desired to do so, was just as drawn to Marco as he to them.  Their courtship was slow, full of love and songs, but eventually there was a proposal and wedding arranged, fitting of Thrace’s most beloved artist and his betrothed.  While it was a bit of an eyebrow raiser that the son of a prince would go after a street urchin, no one was going to argue with Marco for fear of making him put down his lyre and refuse to sing again.

 

  Marco sang at the wedding, his arms wrapped happily around Armin’s waist, and everyone could see just how happy they both were.  Eventually, Armin’s friend Mikasa took him aside, the two of them chatting quietly together as Marco’s brothers and father congratulated him on a lovely bride. It was as Marco’s mother was asking him for a dance that they heard a scream from the direction that Armin and Mikasa had gone.  Fearing the worst, Marco immediately jogged down the path after them.  It was Marco’s mother who got to Armin’s side first, as he was held tightly by his sobbing friend, a look of pure horror and grief written upon both women’s faces.

  “T-there was a sn-snake!”  Mikasa wailed, clutching her friend closer as Marco’s brothers searched for the snake, Marco frozen in shock where he stood.  Armin, his golden lover, lay still in his best friend’s arms, surprise and pain mingling on his face, dead, and Marco couldn’t help but collapse next to them and sob next to her.  Their life together had just begun, and it was already over…

 

  Marco couldn’t let it all be over.  It was two days after Armin’s funeral, and he could do nothing but sob and mourn, not even looking at his lyre (“Marco, c’mon, sing that song for me?” Armin had asked on their wedding day, happily humming along even when Marco encouraged him to sing.  Armin insisted that he couldn’t sing, jokingly saying to “leave it to the masters”).  Everywhere he went was full of ghosts, full of once-happy memories turned sour without Armin next to him.  Marco’s mother was sitting with him one day, letting him lay with his head on her lap as he stared up into space with silent tears slipping from his eyes, when she whispered “Why are you not fighting for him, my son?”

 

  At first, the words didn’t register in Marco’s ears, too used to hearing comforting, meaningless words fall from his mother’s lips.  When he registered her words, he shot upright and stared at his mother in confusion.  “Fight for him?”  Marco asked, his voice cracking from disuse, as his mother nodded.  “Fight for him!  The entrance to the underworld is not far, you could petition Hades for your love to return!”  His mother’s voice rose in excitement, hands clasping at Marco’s as he stared at her uncomprehendingly.

  “But...Mother, no one’s ever petitioned Hades and gotten someone back,” Marco whispered, already accepting defeat before he had started.  His mother frowned at him, and lightly slapped the side of his face.  “Fool,” She snapped, before continuing calmly, “Just because no one has before doesn’t mean it can’t be done.  Appeal to Persephone, she may be more understanding than her husband.”  For the next few hours, she encouraged Marco, until he finally snatched up his lyre and set out without a word to anyone else.  What if he failed in his attempt to get Jean back, after saying he would do so?  No, he figured, it would be best to set out quietly.  If he couldn’t get Armin back...Well, Marco figured, there were more than enough holes for him to lay in and wait for death.

 

  Getting into the underworld was the easy part, Marco reminded himself, as he carefully picked his way down, deep beneath the earth into Hades’ domain.  After almost being ripped apart by a three headed dog (“Never again,” Marco gasped, having ducked into a small hallway to avoid the beast’s patrols), and a boat ride by the very silent ferryman, Marco was finally in front of Hades’ throne.  It wasn’t what Marco had ever thought to expect.  The throne was merely a stone chair, with a young dishwater-blond man perched atop it, looking extremely bored.  Next to him sat a small blonde woman, with what may have been a smile curling at the edges of her lips in an almost mocking way.  Persephone was sitting with her hands folded in her lap, her back ramrod straight, with an air of regal authority surrounding her.  Hades, on the other hand, slumped in his seat without care, eyes crossed with boredom, only focusing vaguely as Marco entered.  Without waiting to be prompted, Marco started singing, his lyre and his voice making everything in the underworld stop to listen.

 

_O Lord, ruler of the dark and silent world,_

_All lovely things go down to you in the end._

_But I seek one who came too soon;_

_the bud was plucked before the flower could bloom._

_I tried to bear my loss, but could not,_

_For love was too strong.  O, King, if tales are true_

_of how Persephone came to you_

_Please, for my sweet Armin let him be returned._

_Life’s pattern was taken from the loom too soon._

_I ask a little thing._

_That you lead, not give, him back to me._

_For love to not only happen for a day in spring._

_But for a lifetime_

 

  When Marco fell silent, Hades couldn’t help but smile at his plea.  Surely, this mortal could not be serious?  No one could just waltz into the underworld and take a soul back with them, no matter how pure and beautiful their voice sounded.  As Hades opened his mouth to speak, Persephone laid a gentle hand upon his arm, making him pause.

  “At least he thought better than to just demand him from us,” She whispered, eyeing Marco with interest.  “I say we give him back, under one condition…”  She trailed off and whispered into her lover’s ear the idea, a downright evil smirk pulling up the edges of Hades’ lips.  The grin they shared when Hades nodded in agreement was synchronized, as was them turning back to their uninvited guest.

 

  “Marco, was it?”  Hades drawled, rising from his throne as he assessed the musician in front of him, who nodded mutely and stood just a little bit straighter.  “My wife and I have a deal we would like for you to listen to, as it’s the only way we might return Armin to you.”  Marco’s eyes shone with joy, and he nodded rapidly, which made Hades laugh.  “Come now, you should know better than to agree to a deal without hearing it first!”  He laughed, Persephone laughing as well as Armin was escorted into the throne room, looking scared and anxious.  Marco wanted to go to Armin immediately, to assure them both that he was okay, but the look Hades pierced him with kept him in place.  Persephone continued speaking where Hades had left off, examining the blond man instead of looking at Marco as she spoke.

 

  “You have to trust that your love is behind you, as you leave the underworld.  If you dare to look back while either of you are still shadowed by the entrance, Armin will return to us.”  Persephone looked at Marco then, a sweet smile curling at the edges of her lips as she added “good luck”, before turning down the hall that Armin had emerged from.  Hades sighed as she left, turning down a dark hallway, gesturing for both of them to follow.  Armin immediately attempted to hold Marco’s hand, only for his hand to go straight through Marco’s own.

 

  “Until you are fully out of the shadows of the entrance to the underworld, Armin, you’re merely spirit.”  Hades said helpfully, not slowing down his brisk pace for either of them.  Marco held his hand out anyways as they hurried behind the lord of the underworld.  “You know, Marco,” Hades said quietly, as the hall they walked down became less ornate and more like a dirt cavern, “Armin had said only that he was remorseful about leaving you on your wedding day.  I can’t help but wonder, how was a snake that was not native to your kingdom able to find your love on your wedding day, and bite him?”  Hades flashed a knowing smile, as Marco frowned at the floor, unsure of what to make of Hades’ words.  “My guess, honestly, would be sabotage, and you know how much I hate liars...So I feel that someone must be lying about this.”  He finished, a smirk twisting his lips as he watched Armin fidget behind Marco.  “Keep to the left path,” Hades stated finally, as he pointed down the hall, waiting for the two of them to be on their way.  Marco whispered a quiet “thank you”, as he turned down the hall, hand still held out for Armin’s.

 

  The pair of them walked in silence for a while, with absolutely no guarantee that Armin was with him; not even the dirt under their feet crunched for Armin's spirit-like presence.  Marco was so tired, feet dragging as he let his arm drop back to his side, his other hand rubbing at his eye gently.  Soon though, he heard a sound he hadn’t in so very long:  Armin was humming quietly behind him, a song that mother had sung to him before her passing, one that he still spent ages trying to remember the words for.  The tune was helpful enough, reinvigorating both of them, and Marco even hummed along a little bit.  Eventually Armin started singing something else, and Marco was oh so tempted to look back and see the way Armin’s nose always scrunched up the slightest bit when he attempted to sing.  Armin must’ve noticed the slightly tense look of Marco’s shoulders, immediately putting a stop to Marco’s desire to look.

 

  “Don’t you dare look back Marco.  I’m not going back down there because you were impatient.” Armin growled lowly, and Marco’s eyes snapped forward once more.  Armin felt a bit guilty about chastising him, and mumbled “I can’t wait to see your face either, but we gotta get out of here first.”  For the next few minutes as they walked along, they shared what they were most excited about doing first when they were both out of the entrance to the underworld.  Marco was excited to get their first kiss after their wedding.  Armin couldn't help but grin about how excited he was to read to Marco once more; his voice was so soothing right before bedtime.  Marco couldn’t wait to hold hands, and both of them reached a hand out to attempt to touch each other.  With Marco leading, Armin could barely contain how badly he wanted to look at his husband’s face, but it would definitely be worth it to wait.  

 

  The tunnel grew lighter around them the brightness of sunlight making Marco squint as he shielded his eyes, grumbling about how it had been too long since he had seen it.  Armin’s hand immediately reached for Marco’s, both of them grinning as his hand grew warm and solid in Marco’s.  Marco looked directly up as he passed from underneath the entrance to the underworld, breathing a sigh of relief, but still not daring to look back at Armin.  They had both cleared the entrance a while ago, silently rejoicing, but Marco still didn’t dare to look back, anxious that Hades and Persephone had attempted to trick him.

 

  “Mini, stand in front of me, please,” Marco whispered as he came to a halt, fear coloring his voice.  Armin walked forward just a little bit more, so that Marco was now staring at the back of his head.  Armin let out the smallest of laughs, a frighteningly dark sound, as he turned to face Marco.  There he was, still Marco’s sweet husband, but...Subtly different.  There was a hardness in his eyes that Marco had never seen before (or had it never registered to him?), as Armin seemed to “settle” into his body with a low sigh of delight, stretching as if he had been curled up for ages.

  “Well, Marco?  Aren’t you gonna give your husband a kiss?”  Armin asked, crowding into Marco’s space.  While Marco had never really been one to deny his beloved anything...He was hesitant, wondering briefly if being in the underworld had changed him.  But Armin waited patiently, a sly smirk playing at the edges of his lips, before Marco leaned in and carefully kissed him.

 

  Both men sighed and relaxed into each other’s arms.  The tension held in Marco’s shoulders fell away almost instantly, and he made a note to pray and thank Hades and Persephone later.  Armin, on the other hand, made a note to beg for Hades’ forgiveness.  No one wanted to upset the ruler of the underworld, especially when one had been playing tricks to escape him for so long.  No one in Thrace questioned when Armin returned alone, sobbing that Marco had begged Hades to take him instead and let Armin live; it sounded exactly like something Marco would have done.  But, oh, did Hades hate liars, as Marco returned to the underworld permanently.


End file.
